Automakers, Tech Innovators Call on Congress to Pair AM Radio Mandate with Royalties for Music Artists

Alliance for Automotive Innovation, CTA, ZETA Urge House Leaders to Ensure Big Radio Finally Pays for Music That Makes Business Model Possible

WASHINGTON D.C. (June 3, 2025) – A broad coalition of leading automakers and innovative technology companies have sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees asking them to advance the American Music Fairness Act (H.R. 861/S.326), which will require big radio companies that made $13.6 billion in advertising revenue in 2024 to finally pay the artists whose music they play today for free. The letter was signed by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the Zero Emissions Transportation Association (ZETA), and the musicFIRST Coalition.

“Mandating AM radio without addressing the performance royalty issue would perpetuate an inequity that denies hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to countless recording artists every year,” the groups wrote. “While some of our coalition members have concerns about the AM bill for a variety of reasons, we also believe that Congress should not mandate the use of an infringing platform that exploits artists by not paying them for their work. Our position is simply one of fairness and equity, and one that we think all Americans can agree: if you put in the hard work, you should be compensated.”

The call to action comes as the House Energy and Commerce Committee prepares to consider the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 979). The coalition warned in their letter that mandating AM radio in vehicles, without addressing the issue of performance royalties, would exacerbate an already unfair system.

The American Music Fairness Act offers a balanced solution that ensures music creators are fairly compensated when their songs are played on AM/FM radio and that small, independent broadcasters are able to thrive. The legislation enjoys support from a diverse coalition of artists, broadcasters, labels, and music lovers:

• Broadcasters, such as the Alliance for Community Media, Common Frequency, Media Alliance, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), Prometheus Radio Project, and REC Networks — which represent a broad coalition of community broadcasters — also support the American Music Fairness Act.

• More than 300 artists — including Aerosmith, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, James Taylor, Jelly Roll, Lil Jon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mariah Carey, Miranda Lambert, Ozzy Osbourne, P!nk, Reba, Stevie Nicks — support the American Music Fairness Act.

• Every Republican and Democratic administration in the past 50 years, including the Biden and Trump administrations, has supported paying artists for their music.

• 73% of Americans support passing a law to give artists performance royalties for AM/FM radio plays.

The full text of the letter delivered to lawmakers today is embedded below.

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June 3, 2025

Dear Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, Chairman Jordan, and Ranking Member Raskin:

We write today as a diverse set of stakeholders representing the automakers, cutting-edge technology companies, and the music industry to urge immediate consideration of S. 326/H.R. 861, the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) by the Senate and House Judiciary Committees. The Senate Commerce Committee marked up another radio-related bill recently, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (S. 315), and the House Energy & Commerce Committee is expected to markup companion legislation (H.R. 979) soon. We strongly believe the AM bill should not move forward without Congress also passing AMFA.

AMFA addresses a longstanding inequity and would ensure that music recording artists are finally paid when their work is played on terrestrial radio. Under current law, terrestrial radio is the only music delivery platform that is not required to pay recording artists for their music. Satellite radio and streaming services, including some of our member companies, must compensate artists for their work. The lack of a performance right on terrestrial radio puts some of our member companies at a competitive disadvantage. Meanwhile, large broadcast corporations continue to rake in billions in advertising revenue every year without having to pay artists for their music. The U.S. is the only industrialized country that doesn’t have a performance right, putting us in the company of nations like North Korea, Iran, and Cuba.

Mandating AM radio without addressing the performance royalty issue would perpetuate an inequity that denies hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to countless recording artists every year. While some of our coalition members have concerns about the AM bill for a variety of reasons, we also believe that Congress should not mandate the use of an infringing platform that exploits artists by not paying them for their work. Our position is simply one of fairness and equity, and one that we think all Americans can agree: if you put in the hard work, you should be compensated.

We urge the Senate and House Judiciary Committees to consider the American Music Fairness Act without delay to ensure this longstanding loophole is finally closed and that music artists are not left behind if Congress moves forward with the AM bill. The House Judiciary Committee approved AMFA as recently as 2022.

We stand ready to work with you to achieve this goal.

Sincerely,

John Bozzella

President & CEO

Alliance for Automotive Innovation

Gary Shapiro

CEO & Vice Chair

Consumer Technology Association

Albert Gore

Executive Director

Zero Emission Transportation Association

Fmr. U.S. Senator Mark Pryor

Co-Chairman

musicFIRST Coalition

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musicFIRST works to ensure music creators get fair pay for their work on all platforms and wherever and however it is played. We rally the people and organizations who make and love music to end the broken status quo that allows AM/FM to use any song ever recorded without paying its performers a dime. And to stand up for fair pay on digital radio — and whatever comes next.